Rear sight for firearms



OQ 'l 97159203 BBQ-254.,

May 28, 1929.l c. c. Loomis REAR SIGHT FOR FIREARMS Filed May 27, 1921Alill/[Ill] V I NVENQR. v 'CRAWFORD C Looms K Arm evene-issie.

Patented May 28, 1929.

CRAWFORD C'. IiOOIVlIS7 0F ILION, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO REMINGTON ARMSCOM- PANY, INC., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

REAR SIGHT FOR FIREARMS.

Application filed May 27,

This invention contemplates improvements in rear sights for firearms andhas for an object the provision of a sturdy, rigid, verticallyadjustable sight which though easily adjustable does not readily get outof adjustment or repair and is relatively cheap to manufacture.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a sight leaf forshort ranges and a sight leaf for longer ranges, together with amounting means rendering one of the sight leaves inoperative when theother is being used.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide visible rangescales associated with each of the above-mentioned sight leaves,together with a construction which indicates to the gun operator theproper range scale to be read with each sight leaf.

Other objects relate to the details of construction and combinationsthereof, which are described in the specification and illustrated in theattached drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a gun sight constructed after myinvention, adjusted for use wit-li short ranges.

Fig. 2 is a view of the gun sight as seen from above in the direction ofarrows 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the gun sight of the presentinvention adjusted for use with longer ranges.

Fig. t is a view in transverse section of the gun sight taken along theline 4f-4: of Fig. 1.

In said drawings, the numeral 11 indicates the sight body proper,provided preferably with an integral dovetail tenon 12 receivable in acorresponding mortise in the barrel or receiver of the gun, the bottomface 13 be ing substantially parallel with the axis of the barrel. Thetop face 14 of the body is inclined to the bottom face, as shown, and isprovided with upstanding side flanges 15 formed with guide grooves 16preferably parallel to the face 14.-. These grooves receive and serve asguide ways for the edges 17 of the sight carrier 18 which may be in theform of a plate as shown which is therefore slidable in a directionoblique to the barrel axis. These grooves may be either straight orcurved so that the sight carrier is movable in a straight line or alonga curve. At one end, preferably the high end,

1921. serial No. 472,951.

of the carrier 18 sight leaves carrying sight surfaces are provided, theconstruction of which will be more fully described hereinafter. It willbe obvious that the elevation of the sight surface above the axis may beincreased by sliding the sight plate rearwardly and decreased by slidingthe plate forwardly, whereby adjustment for various ranges may bequickly and accurately made.

The angle of inclination of the guide grooves 16 with the barrel axismay vary greatly for guns of different power. In the form illustratedthe angle has been so selected as to give a change of elevation of onefifth of the sliding movement of the sight plate. In this way it ispossible to adjust the sight with very great accuracy without resortingto excessively line graduations. This reduces the possibility of errorin use and reduces the time required for adjustment.

Means is provided for retaining the sight plate in its various positionsof adjustment. This may take the form of a transversely movable latchbolt 25 having a locking detent 26 engageable with properly positionednotches in the side of the sight plate 18. The latch bolt is springtensioned toward locking position by the spring 27 bearing against ashoulder formed by the head 28 which for assembling purposes ispreferably threaded onto the bolt 25 as shown at 29. The head 28normally extends slightly beyond the edge of the base so that it may bereadily pressed inward to permit of sight adjustment.

In order to prevent accidental loss of the sight plate it is preferredto provide a screw 30 carried by the plate and having its end 31extending into a. groove 32 in the top face of the sight base. This willallow full freedom of motion of the plate but will positively preventaccidental removal of the plate from the base. If it should be desiredto remove the plate, this can be easily donc by backing up the screw 30for a few turns.

It is to be noted that the sight leaf 19 is located at the extreme endof the sight carrier 18 and at the high end of the plate. This is amatter of considerable import-ance as in this way the sight surface maybe quite low without interference by the base at its lowest position. Ifplaced near the middle or the lower end of the plate it would benecessary to make the sight leaf 19 con- CFI made higher also thesedisadvantages would be further enhanced.

Such a sight can be very easily changed from an aperture sight to anopen sight and vice versa by the substitution of one type of sight platefor the other. It is well recogniZed that for best results an aperturesight must be placed within 8l from the eye of the shooter, while anopen sight must be placed at least double this distance. It may bedesired to provide means whereby both such sights may be carried by andused with a single gun. Such a means may be effected, for example, bythe provision of an aperture sight on the receiver bridge of the gun andan open sight further forward, as upon the rear portion of the barrel.With both of these sights mounted on the same gun, in order that one maynot interfere with the use of the other, provision may be made forreversing one sight carrier onjits base where it will hold its sightleaf below the line of sight and out of the way. It will be readily seenthat the construction of the present invention is exceedingly welladapted for this use of two different sights on a single gun.Manipulation of screw 30 affords detachment and a placing in reversedposition of carrier 18 in the guide.

Locking means may be provided for positively securing the sight base tothe gun, such as a screw 33, the head portion of which lies beneath thelower face of sight carrier 18. The screw passes through the sight body11 and bears against that portion of the gun which engages the bottomface of the sight body.

It is obvious that the extent of ranges covered by a single sight leafis necessarily limited. The present invention contemplates aconstruction whereby a more extensive series of ranges may be securedwithout increasing the length of the base or sight carrier. According tothe present invention two sight leaves 19 and 19 are provided, beingpreferably formed integral and substantially at right angles to eachother. At different heights above the mounting and gun axis, a lowerrange aperture 20 is formed in sight leaf 19 and an upper range aperture40 is formed in sight leaf 19. Pivot pin 43 secures the sight leaves andsight carrier in hinged engagement. The frictional resistance betweenthe walls of the sight carrier and the edges of the sight plate servesto hold the sights in their adjusted positions, but special means forthis purpose may be provided. As seen in Figs. 2 and 3, the sightcarrier plate is cut away to receive the sight leaf 19 when the sightleaf 19,

with its lower range aperture 20, is adjusted to its elevated positionfor use with the lower ranges.

It will be seen in Fig. 2 that a lower range scale graduated from 50 to650 yards is provided at one side of the carrier 18, and an upper rangescale graduated from 700 to 1000 yards is provided at the other side ofthe carrier. When aperture 20 is adjusted to its effective position andsight carrier 18 is slidably moved upward to its extreme posit-ion thealignment of the mark 22 with the graduation on the scale will indicatethe maximum range when aperture 20 is used, namely G50 yards in the formshown. By rotating the sight leaf through an angle of 900 and slidablymoving the sight carrier down and to its extreme low position as shownin Fig. 8, the sight surface 410 will be positioned for the next rangeadjustment, namely 700 yards as indicated by mark 22". By slidablymoving the sight carrier upward the range may be increased to 1000 yardsin the form shown. Adjustment is therefore available for ranges frompoint blank to 1000 yards.

The numerals of the lower range scale may be stamped on the sight leafcarrying the higher range aperture 40, as shown in Fig. 2. Obviouslywhen the higher range is used these numerals will disappear and the userwill be forced to use the proper (upper) range scale. This thereforeserves as an indicator to indicate the proper range to use for thedifferent positions of the sight leaf and avoids the risk of reading thewrong scale.

lVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States is 1. In a sight for firearms, a base formed with meansfor attaching it to a firearm and provided with side plates havinginclined guide means, a sight carrier consisting of a plate havinglateral edges which are substantially completely contained between saidplates and adapted to be slidably received in said guide means,co-operating securin means on said base and said carrier, sai carrierhaving a plurality of sight leaves pivoted thereto by a common pivot,said sight leaves having sight means formed thereon at differentdistances from their pivot in said plate.

2. In a sight for firearms, a base formed with means for attaching it toa firearm and provided with side plates having inclined guide means, asight carrier slidably mounted between saidplates, means for securingsaid sight carrier in any desired position in said guide means, a memberpivoted to said sight carrier comprising a plurality of sight leaveshaving sight means formed thereon at unequal distances from the pivot,the difference in distance of said sight means from said pivot beingslightly *'ioet WSTRUMENTS.

greater than the vertical range of adjustment of said sight carrier.

3. In a sight for firearms, an attaching base, a carrier mounted thereonfor vertical adjustment with respect thereto, a sight leaf and anauxiliary sight leaf each carried by said carrier and selectivelymovable to effective and ineffective positions, said sight leaves beingof unequal length to afford the use of one for short ranges and theother foi` longer ranges, said sight leaf in its ineffective positionlying substantially parallel to the surface of said carrier, saidcarrier having thereon a range scale denoting the l5 ranges of saidsight leaf, said carrier having range scale, affording an alignment ofthe 2O leaf portion of the secondary scale With the carrier portionthereof when the sight leaf is in the said ineffective position and theauxiliary sight leaf is in effective position,

and a removal from said alignment When 25 said sight leaf is moved toeffective position. In Witness whereof I have signed my name hereto this23 day of May, 1921.

CRAWFORD C. LOOMIS.

